Nitin Gadkari urges modern tech, faster clearances to cut India’s construction costs

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday urged faster decision‑making, adoption of modern technologies and sustainable practices to reduce construction costs and enhance efficiency.

The Minister highlighted the importance of completing key prerequisites such as land acquisition and statutory clearances in advance to ensure smooth execution of infrastructure projects, according to the official statement.

He noted that delays caused by pending clearances and procedural bottlenecks in the past had severely impacted project timelines and the financial health of contractors.

The minister also underlined the need to promote biofuels, biomass-based fuels and other alternative fuels and new technologies for the future of infrastructure development.

Such technologies can help reduce dependence on conventional fuels and lower operational costs. He also called for greater use of waste-to-wealth technologies, including recycling of plastic waste and used tyres in road construction.